Reversible air supported structure

ABSTRACT

An air supported structure having a reversible wall portion symmetrical about a given axis.

United States Patent 1191 Price July 3, 1973 REVERSIBLE AIR SUPPORTED3,356,895 6/1966 Duquette 52/2 STRUCTURE 3,552,072 1/1971 O'Connell 52/23.6] L648 10/197] Barnett 52/2 [75] Invent r: R rt ri x gt y- 3,666,1745/1972 Brylka 52/2 Industries, Inc. Greenwich, 1,913,577 10/1920 Germany52/2 [22] Filed: Oct. 1, 1971 I [211 App]. No.1 185,738 PrimaryExaminer-Frank 1.. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Henry E. Raduazo 52 US. Cl.52/2 Klme Rmmel [51] Int. Cl...'- E04b 1/345 [58] Field of Search 52/257 AB R T {56] References Cited An air supported structure having areversible wall por- UNITED STATES PATENTS 77 7/1967 Sepp 52/2 tionsymmetrical about a given axis.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDJUL3 I973 Robert S. Price REVERSIBLEAIR SUPPORTED STRUCTURE This invention relates to improvements in airsupported structures.

The outer wall portion or skin of air supported structures normally havea life expectancy of about three years. This is particularly true whenvinyls are used as an outer ply, since vinyls become degraded in time bythe ultra violet portion of the suns spectrum. I have discovered that,since vinyls are almost completely opaque to these actinic rays, and ifthe air supported structure is provided with a two-ply skin or an innerand outer wall portion symmetrical about a given axis, that reversingthe wall portions each year will substantially double the life of theair supported structure. Vinyls are used herein as an illustrativematerial since the same have been widely used in air supportedstructures and my invention is not limited to the same. The broad objectof my invention is to provide a reversible air supported structure,regardless of the material of which the same is made.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, and in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air supported structure which mayinclude my improved construction.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 22of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 33of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 44of FIG. 2.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter A may generally designate an air supported structure whichmay include a plurality of panels B which may be secured in positionsuch as by restraining webs C that may be attached to ground anchors D.

The air supported structure A as shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example ofa type of air supported structure which may embody my improvedconstruction. The air supported structure shown therein is similar tothat of my co-pending design patent application Ser. No. 175,804, filedAug. 27, 1971. It is to be specifically understood that the invention isnot restricted to a round ended air supported structure as shown in FIG.1, but that the same may be equally applicable to many other designs,for instance, such as that shown in my copending design patentapplication Ser. No. l75,803, filed Aug. 27, 1971.

As shown, some panels B may comprise side panels in the nature of acylindrical segment, some of which may be provided with a transparentwindow portion 22, and others may comprise end panels 23 in the natureof spherical segments.

Restraining webs C and ground anchors D may be similar to those morefully described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 173,973, filedAug. 23, 1971. Such restraining webs C may include a plurality of webs26 which may extend along the line ofjoinder of side panels 20 and anelongated centrally disposed longitudinally extending web 27 may have aloop 28 at each end thereof to which may be attached a plurality of webs29 which may extend along the line ofjoinder of end panels 21 at eachend thereof. The lowermost end of each restraining webs 26 and 29 may beinterconnected to a ground anchor D.

As shown, each panel B may include an inner ply or wall portion 30 andan outer ply or wall portion 31. Since I propose provision of areversible structure, it is obvious that wall portion 30 is referred toas an inner wall portion merely for convenience of description, for whenthe structure is reversed, wall portion 30 will become the outer wallportion and wall portion 31 will become the inner wall portion.

Adjacent panels B are interconnected such as by seams 32. As shown,restraining webs C are preferably enclosed within seams 32, an openingor other suitable means 33 being provided so that restraining web C maybe entrained to the appropriate side of the structure for properinterconnection in restraint of the air supported structure. Forinstance, in the case of restraining webs 26 which extend along the lineofjoinder of side panels 20, the slit or opening 33 would be providedadjacent the lowermost portion to each side of the structure; and, inthe case of webs 29 which extend along the line of joinder of end panels23, an opening or slit 33 would be provided adjacent the lower and upperportion of each end panel to respectively provide for attachment of theweb to loop 28 and ground anchor D. It is contemplated that the openingor slit 33 will be substantially closed by extension of the restrainingweb therethrough and that it will not be necessary to provide anyadditional closure. However, itis obvious that it is within the scope ofthis invention to provide any appropriate flaps or other closures whichmay be deemed necessary to close opening or slit 33 in order to preventescape of an unwarranted amount of air.

My invention may be used in connection with quite a variety of types ofair supported structures. In the form shown in the drawing, 1 haveadapted my invention so that the air supported structure may alsoinclude the attributes of the insulated air supported structure asdisclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 173,971, filed Aug. 23,1971. As shown, wall portions 30 and 31 are respectively provided withmeans 34 and 35 for ingress and egress of air therebetween. In the formshown, each means 34 and 35 may comprise merely an opening 36 throughwhich air may freely flow, a flap member 37 being provided to provide anappropriate closure over opening 36 when the wall portion is disposed asan outer wall portion. It is obvious that it is within the scope of thisinvention to provide some other type of valve device for permitting theingress and egress of air between wall portions 30 and 31. Anyappropriate number of means 34 and 35 may be provided. The number may bedependent upon the overall length of the panel. I have found thatapproximately a 2 inch' opening 36, provided at each side of such as acylindrical side section 20 covering a width of sixty fee will besufficient.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the air structure is inflated, air will flowthrough opening 36 of valve means 34 of inner wall portion 30, thepressure of air therein causing flap 37 of valve means 35 to close andpreventing egress of air through the valve means 35 of outer wallportion 31. The air thus received between wall portions 30 and 31 willcause outer wall portion 31 to bulge away from inner wall portion 30,providing a dead air space therebetween which will provide improved insulative characteristics to the air supported structure, as

more fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application Ser No.173,971. Since the air pressure on both sides of inner wall portion 30is the same, there will be no pressure differential across the samewhich would cause it to bulge, and it will therefore be maintained insubstantially its original plane.

When the air supported structure is reversed, so that wall portion 30becomes the outer wall portion and wall portion 31 becomes the innerwall portion, then valve means 34 will function in a manner aspreviously described with respect to valve means 35, and vice versa.

Various changes in the form of the invention herein shown and describedmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An air supported structure having a reversible wall portionsymmetrical about a given axis, said wall portion including a pair ofwall members selectively reversible as inner and outer wall members,each said wall member including valve means operable to close to ventingof internal air pressure when such wall member is disposed as an outerwall member and operable when such wall member is disposed as an innerwall member to permit internal air pressures to pass therethrough andinto engagement with the inner surface of the outer wall member and toprovide substantially equal air pressure on both the inner and outersurface of the inner wall member, each wall member having characteristicability when serving as an outer wall member to separate from the wallmember serving as an inner wall member in a bulge-like manner onapplication of internal air pressures to the inner surface of such wallmember serving as an outer wall member to provide a substantially deadair space between the inner and outer wall members.

2. An air supported. structure having a reversible wall portionsymmetrical about a given axis, said wall portion including a pair ofwall members selectively reversible as inner and outer wall members,said wall portion including a plurality of panels interconnectedtogether in an edge to edge relation, at least some wall portion of atleast some of said panels including a pair of wall members selectivelyreversible as inner and outer wall members, the side edges of said wallmember being disposed with respect to each other to define an enclosedarea therebetween, each said wall member including valve means operableto close to venting of internal air pressures when such wall member isdisposed as an outer wall member and operable when such wall member isdisposed as an inner wall member to permit internal air pressures topass therethrough and into said enclosed area to provide substantiallyzero pressure differential across the wall member disposed as an innerwall member, each said wall member having characteristic ability whenserving as an outer wall member to separate from the wall member servingas an inner member in a bulge-like manner on introduction of internalair pressure into said enclosed area.

3. An air supported structure as specified in claim 2 wherein the outeredge portions of said wall members are joined in adjacent seams, andstrap means for securing the air supported structure in place, saidseams including means for extension of said strap means to theappropriate side of said wall portion for restraint purpose in bothreversible positions of said wall members.

1. An air supported structure having a reversible wall portion symmetrical about a given axis, said wall portion including a pair of wall members selectively reversible as inner and outer wall members, each said wall member including valve means operable to close to venting of internal air pressure when such wall member is disposed as an outer wall member and operable when such wall member is disposed as an inner wall member to permit internal air pressures to pass therethrough and into engagement with the inner surface of the outer wall member and to provide substantially equal air pressure on both the inner and outer surface of the inner wall member, each wall member having characteristic ability when serving as an outer wall member to separate from the wall member serving as an inner wall member in a bulge-like manner on application of internal air pressures to the inner surface of such wall member serving as an outer wall member to provide a substantially dead air space between the inner and outer wall members.
 2. An air supported structure having a reversible wall portion symmetrical about a given axis, said wall portion including a pair of wall members selectively reversible as inner and outer wall members, said wall portion including a plurality of panels interconnected together in an edge to edge relation, at least some wall portion of at least some of said panels including a pair of wall members selectively reversible as inner and outer wall members, the side edges of said wall member being disposed with respect to each other to define an enclosed area therebetween, each said wall member including valve means operable to close to venting of internal air pressures when such wall member is disposed as an outer wall member and operable when such wall member is disposed as an inner wall member to permit internal air pressures to pass therethrough and into said enclosed area to provide substantially zero pressure differential across the wall member disposed as an inner wall member, each said wall member having characteristic ability when serving as an outer wall member to separate from the wall member serving as an inner member in a bulge-like manner on introduction of internal air pressure into said enclosed area.
 3. An air supported structure as specified in claim 2 wherein the outer edge portions of said wall members are joined in adjacent seams, and strap means for securing the air supported structure in place, said seams including means for extension of said strap means to the appropriate side of said wall portion for restraint purpose in both reversible positions of said wall members. 